Earlier this week, a friend and I dropped by the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa for lunch.
It had been several years since my wife and I had stayed overnight in one of the Mystic Marriott’s posh suites, enjoying the attention lavished upon us by the talented folk at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in the morning. It had been almost as long since I dined at Octagon, one of the better restaurants in eastern Connecticut. Octagon has its own outdoor entrance
in addition to the indoor entrance at the south end of the huge hotel lobby.
Since Octagon was not open for lunch, we dined at The Lounge at Octagon (in the space formerly known as Vines at Octagon).
Like Octagon, The Lounge at Octagon is located at the south end of the lobby,
while the hotel desk is located at the north end of the lobby.
Like the hotel desk, the bar that is the centerpiece of The Lounge
features a mural of the nearby Thames River.
We found the management extremely welcoming.
Management informed us that The Lounge at Octagon employs the same staff and kitchen as Octagon itself. Because it was just a lunch, I didn’t order the usual mountains of food. My dining companion and I began with a bowl of New England clam chowder (really good)
and the soup of the day, a butternut squash bisque.
We moved on to skewers of scallop and sausage in a chimichurri sauce.
We then shared fried Point Judith calamari and cherry peppers served with a garlic butter aïoli.
For our main course, we had double stacked Kobe beef sliders with French fries.
We finished with a serving of chocolate and cherry bread pudding served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I was so intrigued by Octagon’s posted menu
that I accepted the invitation of general manager Michael Allen
to return sometime to Octagon for dinner, so expect to see more on this exciting restaurant.
The Lounge at Octagon, The Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa, 625 North Road, Groton, 860-326-0360
www.loungeatoctagon.com